California Mille Miglia 1000, April 2011

Photo taken: Rally des Alpes (CH), 2004
Driven by: Carash/Ejzenbaum USA
Referred to as: Bentley 3 Litre Speed tourer 1927

Found on the Internet:
This crowd-pleasing 1927 Bentley Three Litre, chassis RC 32, body by Vanden Plas, is an extremely interesting automobile by the standards of an auto-enthusiast. For one into prestigious mechanical backgrounds, this vehicle is a rarity. It happened in 1936, when it became one of ten Bentleys chosen by Alan Nobby Clark, manager of the Bentley Service Depot in Kingsbury, England, to be "reconditioned" (hence, the moniker R.C.) after the marque had been sold to Rolls-Royce in 1931. The chosen Bentleys' engines and chassis were stripped and rebuilt, incorporating both new and vintage parts, as necessary.

All but one of the ten RC series cars, including RC 32 exhibited by owners Joel and Raquel Carash of Stockton, California, were fitted with new four-seat touring bodies by Vanden Plas. This RC design was an evolution from the original series of bodies developed by the fabled coachbuilders for Derby model Bentleys. Very contemporary for 1936, the new RC design was defi nitely a pacesetter for other marques.

Mechanical statistics can prove quite boring for enthusiasts who enjoy the stories that beautiful automobiles collect during their lives. RC 32's scrapbook is difficult to beat. With its enclosed boot ("trunk" to you from the left side of THE POND) for road tools and luggage, this vintage Bentley is excellently suited for touring, and touring it has gone. Nick-named Nobby" by the Carashs, this vehicle has rallied and toured in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, New England, Wales, Ireland, Western Europe, and British Columbia during the past decade.

Photographs of the elegant vehicle surrounded by giraffes on the planes of Africa evoke thoughts of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang meets Dr. Doolittle." Maybe Nobby didn't actually talk to the animals, but he surely made their acquaintance in many an exotic local. In June of 1936, RC 32 was sold with a fi ve year warranty. In July of 2009, Nobby looks forward to his next adventure with the Carashs. First stop on the latest journey is on the green today at the first annual Presidio of San Francisco Concours d'élegance.